Daily Gospel Reflection for May 13, 2017

In today’s Gospel, as Jesus’ mission on Earth begins to draw to a close, He reveals to His disciples that, “If you know me, then you will also know my Father.” Philip then asks Jesus to “show us the Father”.

Jesus is surely a bit frustrated and sad that after all of this time, Philip does not know Him. All of us can relate to being in a close relationship with someone and feeling like we are not fully understood. In our relationship with Our Lord, how many times are we like Philip and just “don’t get” who Jesus wants to be for us and who we are called to be?

Happily, we have a loving God who patiently reveals Himself to us. So much so that Jesus promises He will enable us to do works greater than He performed because Jesus will intercede for us with the Father. WOW! How awesome and humbling to realize Jesus invites us to participate in the Divine in this way! It requires our total trust in and abandonment to Him. Who better to help us with this total surrender than Our Blessed Mother Mary?

Today as we celebrate the 100th anniversary of Mary’s first appearance to the children of Fatima, let us ask her to help us to intimately know God the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit, and through the Trinity, come to know our true selves.

Spend time today with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament in church or visit www.savior.org. Pray the prayer the children were previously taught by the Angel of Peace and “driven by a deep inspiration” to pray on May 13, 1917 during their encounter with Mary. “O Most Holy Trinity, I adore Thee! My God, my God, I love Thee in the Most Blessed Sacrament.”

Ponder:

What keeps me from knowing who Jesus truly is and what my role is as part of the Mystical Body of Christ? Do I recognize Him in my neighbor? Do I acknowledge His true presence – Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity – in the Eucharist?

Pray:

Dear Mary, please help us to put all our trust in God. Teach us to ponder things in our hearts like you did so we may clearly see who Jesus wants to be for us and who He is calling us to be. Amen

Copyright 2017 Cara Stolarczyk

Cara is a wife and mother who strives to live each day savoring the present moment where God abides. She enjoys collaborating to address the needs of people and organizations so they can become their best selves and achieve desired results. Cara’s passionate about working with those who are devoted to serving others while developing people to their fullest potential.